


A Year and Six Months

by sauvignonfierce



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Also never getting over Steve, And more adopted kids, I'm never getting over this ship, Multi, Steve needs love, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-27 20:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12590216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sauvignonfierce/pseuds/sauvignonfierce
Summary: “You pace too much.” Nancy didn’t even look up when she spoke. Steve didn’t stop pacing, just smoothed his hair back and flipped through the cards.“I don’t mind,” Jonathan said, looking up at his girlfriend with a coy smile. “I think it’s kinda cute when he paces.”Steve realizes he likes guys, and Nancy and Jonathan react differently than he had expected.





	1. Chapter 1

A year ago and six months ago, if you had asked Steve what his life would be like now, he would have had a simple answer. He would be waiting for his college acceptance letters with Nancy, stressing out because she would of course get into a better college than he would, and the inevitable topic of long distance relationships would come up, stressing him out even more. Of course, if Steve had learned anything from the past year and a half, it was that nothing ever happened as planned in Hawkins, Indiana. 

* * * * * 

It was February now, and while he was still waiting for his college applications, Nancy was happily with Jonathan and he somehow managed to become emotionally attached to a group of middle schoolers. What the hell was he doing, anyway?  


It wasn’t so bad though. He felt warm when Dustin was bitching to him about how Lucas knew he liked Max but still went after her anyway. Steve remembered being his age, thinking that just because you liked a girl first meant she had to like you back. Highschool would change that, when boys began to realize girls merely tolerated them most of the time. Hopefully Max wouldn’t break Lucas’s heart, he found himself thinking as Dustin talked.  


Between shuttling the kids around town, to the arcade, the movies, occasionally bowling, something even odder began to happen. Nancy and Jonathan became his friends. If he had to pin point the moment they went from stiff smiles in the hallway to actual conversations at their lockers, he’d have to bring up Billy Hargrove. He hated the guy. Hated him with every fiber of his being. He knew the way he treated Max, and every time he saw his face, his blood boiled, and not just from the memories of Billy’s fists pummeling him into the floor. But he still wanted to look at his golden tan, his muscles. It terrified him.  


After what he could only guess was a panic attack, chest tightening, breath leaving his body, head spinning, the realization came to him. He was attracted to Billy. It should have been more of a surprise to him, and the fact that maybe he’d always known this all along made the panic rise even more. Of course, he hated Billy. He wouldn’t ever dream of acting on his attraction, because it was purely physical. But he wanted to tell somebody, to ask them what this meant. His parents were out of the question. They were mostly out of town, and rarely present enough in his life for him to talk to them about anything, let alone his sexuality.  


That was how he had found himself at the Wheeler house one night. He rang the doorbell, snuffling his feet nervously on the doormat, listening to the scratch instead of the silence from the other side. The door swung open. Nancy looked surprised.  


“Oh, Steve. Are you here for Mike?” He chuckled to himself, letting his nerves calm.  


“No. I was wondering if I could talk to you.” A brief moment of confusion flashed over her angular features, and she smiled, opening the door wider and ushering him inside.  


“Oh, hello Steve,” Mrs. Wheeler said with a smile upon seeing him in the hall.  


“Hi, Mrs. Wheeler,” he said. He’d always liked Nancy’s mom. She cared about her kids in a way his parents didn’t.  


“Mom, we’re going upstairs to talk,” Nancy stated, heading up the stairs.  


“Door open,” her mother called up the stairs.  


“Okay, Mom,” Nancy said. Steve could tell she had rolled her eyes. He knew the tone of voice that accompanied the look. Once inside, she closed the door almost all the way, not technically breaking the rules. He looked around her room. He hadn’t been there in almost six months. Not a lot had changed. There were two framed pictures of her and Jonathan, and they looked happy. Like, truly happy. And it made him happy to see her smiling with her whole face.  


“Jonathan take these?” He asked, pointing to the pictures and leaning in to look closer.

“Um, yeah. He did.”  


“They’re great,” he said, honestly. She softened when she heard that.  


“So, what’s going on? Is everything okay?” She sat on the bed and he sat next to her, not too close. He didn’t want her to think this was a plan or anything.  


He fiddled with the collar of his members only jacket, before running a hand through his hair.  


“I think….I might….” he trailed off, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. “I want to make out with Billy.” The suddenness of his statement took him by surprise and he slowly opened one eye to see her reaction. Her eyebrows were raised, eyes wide, but she didn’t look mad or disgusted. He didn’t think she would, but people could surprise you. Nobody talked about these things openly. His heart was racing.  


“Well…yeah,” she said. He furrowed his brow, confused.  


“Wait, what?”  


“Steve, you made me see Risky Business three times. And you weren’t looking at Rebecca De Mornay.” He blushed, burying his head in his hands.  


“God, what’s wrong with me? You’re beautiful and I like girls! I don’t know…” he didn’t finish the sentence, because she was hugging him tightly.  


“You don’t have to like one or the other. You can like both. But…Billy, really?” He laughed, into her hair and they separated.  


“Don’t worry, I’d never actually kiss him. It’s just, he’s hot, you know?” She grinned.  


“Yeah, I guess he is.”

* * * * * 

Things were different after that. Nancy and Jonathan started hanging out with him more. He actually liked Jonathan. He wasn’t as quiet once he was comfortable around him. He had a great music collection, and was constantly giving Steve tapes to listen to, which he dutifully did and reported back the next day. Nancy still bugged him about studying, and made him flash cards, which Dustin would quiz him on when he spent time with the kid.  


“Why are we even studying?” Steve asked one night, flopping down onto Jonathan’s bed, flashcards flying everywhere. Nancy scowled and playfully kicked him from her position at the head of the bed, where her text book was balanced on her lap.  


“Because…we have tests,” Jonathan answered from the floor, digging through his backpack for a pen.  


“But we’re seniors. It’s almost May! Shouldn’t we be out having fun before we all graduate?”  


“Well, if you don’t study, you won’t graduate,” Nancy pointed out, throwing the flashcards near her onto his chest one by one. He groaned.  


“You two are no fun.” He stood up and paced back and forth, staring at the cards in his hand. They said something about protons or proteins. He couldn’t focus. It was Thursday night and he was antsy and determined for the three of them to actually do something fun this weekend.  


“You pace too much.” Nancy didn’t even look up when she spoke. He didn’t stop pacing, just smoothed his hair back and flipped through the cards.  


“I don’t mind,” Jonathan said, looking up at his girlfriend with a coy smile. “I think it’s kinda cute when he paces.” Steve didn’t register the words coming out of his friends mouth for a moment.  


“Did you….cute?” Was all he could manage to say.  


“Yeah you get all,” Jonathan waved a hand in front of his face. “Scrunched up. It’s cute.” Steve glanced at Nancy, who was pursing her lips, trying and failing to hide her smile.  


“Listen, I gotta go pick up Dustin. I said I’d take him home after the arcade,” Steve said, rushing to pack up his things.  


“Steve, wait!” Nancy said, chasing after him. But he was already out the door.  


“You think we scared him off permanently?” Jonathan asked. She shook her head, leaning into his warmth.  
“Nah. I think he’s just skittish.”

* * * * * 

Skittish indeed. Steve sped down the backroads of Hawkins, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with shaky hands when he pulled into the parking lot. He leaned against his car in the cool spring air. Cute? Did Jonathan call him cute? Nancy must have told him about what he’d told her a few months ago. He was probably just messing with him. But Jonathan wasn’t one to mess with you about something serious. He knew what being an outcast meant. He wouldn’t want Steve to feel that way, not when they were making headway with their friendship. That only left one option. And it sparked something in Steve’s stomach, something that made him queasy and hot, the way he felt when he’d first kissed Sharon Terry in the 6th grade, but ten times more intense.  


“Hey, Steve,” Dustins said, sauntering over to his car.  


“Hey, kid,” Steve said, crushing the cigarette out and getting into the car.  


“Anyone else need a ride?” Steve asked, looking for the pack that usually accompanied Dustin.  


“Nah, it was just me and Mike. His mom picked him up five minutes ago.”  


“Oh, and she couldn’t take you home, too?” He teased. He knew Dustin liked hanging out with him, no matter how much he protested that he didn’t think about it that much.  


“They live the other way!” He explained forcefully.  


“Right, right.” They talked a bit, about Dustin almost reclaiming his high score on Dig Dug, about how much Dustin’s mom loved her new cat, which Steve had found wandering around in the woods by his house and brought over to her a few months ago. Mrs. Henderson loved him now, and trusted him with Dustin, which was more touching than he wanted to admit.  


“You okay?” Dustin asked, when Steve didn’t respond to his story about their latest D&D campaign.  
“Yeah, sorry. Just. Something weird happened earlier.”  


“Weird as in fighting demodogs with a baseball bat or weird as in deja-vu?” Dustin asked. Their terms for clarification were off the charts crazy, and Steve still couldn’t believe all that had happened to him.  
“Let’s say closer to deja-vu.”  


“What happened?”  


“Well, it’s a long story. But let’s just say, it could be something big. And it kind of caught me by surprise,” Steve explained vaguely.  


“That’s all I’m gonna get, isn’t it?” Dustin said.  


“For now. Ask me again in three years.”  


“Like you’ll even be alive in three years, old man.” Steve barked out a laugh. He knew he liked the kid for a reason.

* * * * * 

After dropping him off and accepting a hug and a tupperware container full of cookies from Mrs. Henderson, he drove around, not sure where to go next. His house was empty, his parents were out of town, and that seemed depressing. He’d just end up drinking too much beer and overthinking. He could go back to the Byers’ house, but Joyce and Will would be home by now, and he didn’t really want to deal with the already awkward situation by adding a mom and a previously possessed kid to the mix.  


Home it was. He drank two beers and called the Byers’.  


“Hello?” Will said over the phone. His voice was getting deeper by the day, and it made Steve feel old.  


“Hey, dipshit,” he said affectionately. He knew Will liked it when he didn’t handle him with kid gloves. “Is Jonathan around?”  


“Yeah sure.” He heard Will pause before he whispered “asshole” over the phone. Steve grinned and then felt his stomach tighten nervously while he waited.  


“Hey,” Jonathan said. “Sorry if-“  


“You guys want to come over?” Steve blurted out, cutting him off.  


“Oh, um, are you sure?”  


“Yeah. I have beer, and we should talk.”  


“Definitely. We’ll be over soon.”

The next fifteen minutes were agony. What was he going to say? ‘Hey Jonathan, I know I took your girlfriend’s virginity but I also want to stick my tongue down your throat while she watches, is that cool?’ Yeah, that wouldn’t do. He searched his brain for something eloquent or even coherent that wouldn’t make him seem like he’d been sweating about this for the past two hours.  


He heard Jonathan’s rusty bucket of a car pull up in his driveway, rumbling over the curb, the headlights cutting through the shades. He felt calm suddenly when he imagined the couple, his best friends, walking up to his house. They’d be just as nervous as he was. Hopefully. Unless Jonathan was messing with him and had somehow turned into a douchebag. But that was unlikely, and that fact calmed him down. He heard the doorbell echo through the house and he braced himself, making a decision.  


He flung the door open, smiling, letting them inside. Before he could say anything, Jonathan was talking. He tuned out his inner monologue and listened to him apologizing, saying there was a misunderstanding, that he and Nancy thought that there might be something between the three of them.  


“There is,” he said, cutting him off. “There’s absolutely something between us.” And with that, he pressed Jonathan against the front door, kissing him. His lips were soft, and the strength under his shirt was harder than Nancy, who was soft and pliable. Jonathan was rigid for a moment, until he opened his mouth and let Steve take control. He slid a hand through Jonathan’s hair, the other pulling their bodies closer. He could sense Nancy close, watching them intensely. They pulled apart, Jonathan looking dazed and flushed and fully happy. Nancy launched herself at Steve, kissing her boyfriend’s taste from her ex’s mouth, pushing him against the wall.

If you had told Steve a year and a six months ago that he would be lying naked in bed on a May morning, an equally naked Nancy curled up between him and Jonathan Byers, he would have laughed in your face. But on this specific May morning, he closed his eyes, molding his body to fit behind the girl and took Jonathan’s hand, drifting back to sleep.


	2. Heart to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan iron out the details of their relationship. 
> 
> Steve and Dustin have a heart to heart.
> 
> Leave a comment if you like it! Not sure if I'm going to continue after this or not!

When Steve woke up the next morning, he thought for a moment that the night before had been a dream. Of course Jonathan and Nancy didn’t come over. There was no way he pushed Jonathan against the door and kissed him until he was dizzy, Nancy definitely hadn’t kissed Steve after, then Jonathan, then Steve and Jonathan had kissed again. And no matter what had happened, they absolutely didn’t all three have sex in his bed. 

He opened his eyes after hearing soft snores coming from his bed. Sure enough he found Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler in his bed. Nancy’s eyes were open, and she was watching 

Jonathan, who slept peacefully, his breath heavy and even.  


“Hey,” she said with a sleepy smile, turning her head and laying on her side to face him. Her hair was wild from the nights sleep, makeup slightly smudged around her eyes. She looked beautiful.  


“Hey,” he said, reaching out and pushing a strand of curly brown hair from her face. Being able to do that again sparked something in him, a happiness he hadn’t felt in months. Being able to simply reach out and touch Nancy, softly and innocently was something he had missed more than he was willing to admit to himself.  


“So, last night was fun,” she said, blushing.  


“It certainly was. Sorry that I ran out before. I just kinda freaked,” he said, voice low to avoid waking Jonathan.  


“It’s okay. I can’t blame you. Sorry we just sprung it on you. Jonathan and I had…talked about you before. Kind of a fantasy. And when you told me what you did, it kind of took over,” she admitted bashfully. He was flattered. Being someone’s fantasy- being Jonathan and Nancy’s fantasy- was too good to be true.  


“I’m glad you guys played it cool,” he mocked. She nudged him and laughed louder than expected. Jonathan shifted and opened his eyes. Immediately he turned a bit red at the site of his naked girlfriend and her naked ex-boyfriend playfully teasing each other.  


“Oh, um, morning,” he mumbled.  


“Morning,” Steve said. He didn’t know exactly how this was supposed to go. Was he supposed to make them breakfast and send them on their way? That seemed a bit harsh. What he really wanted to do was lean over Nancy and kiss the sleep from Jonathan’s mouth, then kiss her, then watch them kiss. He felt giddy at the prospect. Maybe this wasn’t a one time thing. Maybe this was their thing.  


“So,” Nancy said, looking up between the two men who were now both laying on their sides facing each other. “I’ve never, y’know, done this before exactly. I’m not sure what we’re even doing but-“ Steve laughed and she stopped talking.  


“Sorry, sorry, it’s just, I was thinking the exact same thing,” he said. Jonathan laughed. It seemed to break the ice and the awkwardness evaporated. Steve watched Jonathan as he bit his lip, looking down at Nancy. He swooped his head down and kissed him, tasting the staleness of a nights sleep, and the sweetness of last night. He felt Nancy’s hand on his chest, and he pulled away from Jonathan, dipping his head down to kiss her. Jonathan’s breath was close, and then Nancy and Jonathan were kissing, then he and Jonathan again, and he was lost in his own senses, kissing them and touching them and feeling them all around him. It was overwhelming, and it felt so natural that he felt his heart skip.

* * * * * 

An hour later, after the three of them were sated in their desires for sex, Nancy pulled on a discarded t-shirt from his floor and skipped down the stairs. He and Jonathan were left in his bed, close and warm.  


“Is it, I mean- can we kiss if Nancy’s not here?” Jonathan asked, unsure of the rules, if there were any.  


“Hey Nance!” Jonathan yelled.  


“Yeah?” Her voice was faint from the kitchen.  


“Can I make out with your boyfriend when you’re not here?” They heard her laugh.  


“Go for it, loverboy,” she responded. He lunged at Jonathan, pressing him into the bed. His stubble was rough against his own, so different to what he was used to, and it was intoxicating. He liked kissing Jonathan more than he could have imagined. Their kiss was slow, not rushed like before, wanted to get to the more pressing matters of being in bed together. This was a lazy good morning kiss, and he only hoped it would be the first of many passing between the three of them.  
Eventually they got out of bed, pulling on their boxers and t-shirts and went down to find Nancy. She was standing by the stove with a spatula, flipping pancakes and making coffee.  


“So domestic of you,” Steve said, kissing her cheek.  


“Don’t get used to it.” She waved the spatula in his direction. Jonathan kissed her as well and followed  
Steve to the table.  


They ate, and listened to the radio and acted like three normal teenagers.

Monday rolled around, and of course, things weren’t normal. They sat outside and ate lunch, even though it was far too cold to do that, but they wanted privacy to talk.  


“I don’t know what we’re supposed to do now,” Nancy admitted. “I mean, everyone knows I’m dating Jonathan, but am I dating Steve too?” She asked them. “This isn’t New York City, I’m not sure how people are going to take that.”  


“I don’t know, Nance,” Steve said, putting his hand over hers.  


“Me either,” said Jonathan, swigging from a water bottle. “Maybe, maybe you’re dating both of us. But people don’t have to know that Steve and I are…dating as well.” He struggled to find the right word, not sure of the terminology used in situations like these.  


“Yeah. Guys get to date two girls all the time, why can’t you date two guys?” Steve said excitedly.

“Jonathan and I are friends. People might think it’s a little weird, but not unheard of.”  


“Unheard of around this school,” she mumbled. “But I like it. Nancy Wheeler, dating two boys at once. God, my mom’s going to have a heart attack when she finds out.”  


Steve laughed, reaching out and brushing Jonathan’s fingers with his. Jonathan looked at him, and then at Nancy and smiled. This was new, and exciting and different, and all three of them were nervous in all the best ways, like it was Christmas Eve and the excitement of the morning was keeping them up.  


“So, are your parents still out of town?” Nancy asked. Steve shook his head.  


“They got back last night. Plus, I have to take Dustin, Max and Lucas to the roller rink tonight.” Nancy and Jonathan snickered.  


“What? I can’t have other friends?!” He said, exasperated.  


“It’s just cute that your other friends are my brother and his friends. They really look up to you, you know?” Jonathan stated.  


“Well, the rest of them do. But Will? He’s all yours. He’s turning into a little mini-Jonathan. It’s a little creepy actually,” Nancy teased.  


“They’re good kids. I like hanging out with them.”

* * * * * 

That night, he picked the three of them up from Lucas’s house, waving to Mrs. Sinclair from his car as they piled into the back. He listened to them talk about the games at the rink, about how Max was going to beat them in a race, and he smiled to himself, glancing in the mirror.  


The rink was lit up with bright neon lights, under which kids and parents and the rarer teenager twirled around to the music playing over the speakers. He sipped on a soda, leaning his forearms on the low rink wall, watching the three kids skate around. Max was, as she had said, much better than the boys. Lucas was decent, stumbling occasionally and holding onto the redhead for balance. Dustin was surprisingly graceful as he skated with them.  


“And now it’s time for the couples skate,” the DJ drawled through the speakers. “Grab your partner close, and get ready for a little Prince.” When Doves Cry began to play and Steve groaned. He was so sick of this song.  


Dustin skated over, walking awkwardly once he hit the carpet and came to stand by Steve. Lucas and Max tentatively held hands and skated with the other couples under the dizzying disco ball and purple lights.  


“Please don’t ask me to skate with you,” Steve said. Dustin made a face. “I’m kidding, man.”  


“Right, right. So, are you going to tell me what you were talking about the other day in the car?” Steve sighed. Dustin was nothing if not persistent.  


“You sure you’re ready to handle that?”  


“We handled demodogs, I think I can handle it.” Steve chuckled.  


“So you know how Nancy and Jonathan are dating now, right?” He decided to tell the truth. Dustin was surprisingly smart for such a young kid, and he didn’t like to be treated his age. Steve was good at talking to him like an adult, and he liked to. There was no judgement from 13 year olds, they wanted  
to know everything. Especially this group. They were too curious for their own good.  


“Yeah, everybody knows that,” he answered.  


“Well, turns out, Nancy and I aren’t completely over each other.” Dustin’s eyes widened.  


“Steve, are you and Nancy cheating behind Jonathan’s back?” He hissed.  


“What? No! Jonathan knows. Nancy and I are dating too.” He watched Dustin’s mind work in overtime,  
trying to figure out what he was hearing exactly.  


“You’re dating Nancy, and Jonathan’s dating Nancy,” Dustin said out loud, more to himself than to Steve. Steve nodded. “Isn’t that weird between you and Jonathan? You guys are friends again, right?”  


Steve hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell Dustin. It was 1984, and even non-judgemental kids might not be ready to discuss a bisexual three person relationship. He swallowed  
the lump in his throat.  


“Well, it’s not weird. Because Jonathan and I are kind of dating too. The three of us are all dating each other.” It felt good to say it out loud. The only people who knew were the three of them, and while that was fine, even Steve needed someone to talk to. Even if that someone was a 13 year old who purred and never took off his baseball cap.  


“Are you….” Dustin paused, looking around and mouthed the word gay. Steve smiled.  


“Nah, dude. We’re whatever. We’re all dating, we’re all attracted to each other, that’s just what it is.”  


He watched Dustin think about it, and then accept it. He looked back out to the rink, eyes landing on Lucas and Max.  


“Don’t even think about it, dipshit,” Steve said.


	3. Applications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Nancy and Jonathan have to make some big decisions about the next year of their lives. Billy Hargrove fucks things up. 
> 
> There will probably be one more chapter after this. So comment your thoughts for me please.

Steve, Jonathan and Nancy were happy together. They spent their evenings at the movies, studying, making out, and doing anything else they could find to occupy their time in Hawkins. Their classmates were beginning to get their college letters back, and every time Steve heard people talking about it, he got incredibly nervous. He’d applied across the spectrum of universities. Schools he definitely wouldn’t get into, schools he probably would, and some he’d never heard of just to please his parents. He knew these were the last few weeks the three of them were going to have together, with nothing hanging over their heads.

Jonathan would definitely get into NYU, Nancy would get into Notre Dame or Purdue, and he’d hopefully get into University of Indianapolis. It would mean they would split up. He didn’t dare tell them he’d applied to those colleges too. His mom had talked to Mrs. Wheeler one night at a PTA meeting and she came home in a tear, telling him he hadn’t applied to enough schools, and Nancy had applied to twice as many. The next week consisted of him filling out applications in a hurry, sending them off under the watchful eye of his mom.

He’d been steeling himself for the heartbreak of getting rejected from the schools his girlfriend and boyfriend were going to, and the inevitable conversation that would follow. If this was just meant to be a five month relationship, he was going to make it matter.

* * * * * 

“Hey, so I have some good news,” Nancy said, skipping over to Steve’s locker, hand linked with Jonathan and kissing his cheek.

“Oh, yeah? I’ll be the judge of that,” Steve teased, closing the metal door and leaning against it, looking at her with a smile.

“My dad’s out of town at a conference and my mom is taking Mike and Holly to visit her sister in Indianapolis this weekend. So my house is free.” She was practically vibrating with excitement. They usually had to find creative ways to be with each other, since living under the same roofs as their parents didn’t exactly make it easy to get it on.

“Well, well, well, that is good news,” he said, tracing her jawline with his fingers, and glancing up to Jonathan, who was smiling quietly.

“How’d you get out of going with your mom anyway?” Jonathan asked.

“I told her I had a big final on Monday in English and I absolutely had to study,” she said dramatically.

“Well I see I have been rubbing off on you after all,” Steve said, proudly.

“Not until tomorrow,” she said, winking. “Anyway, I’ll let you know tomorrow when they’re leaving.”

“Sounds great. I’ll bring the beer,” he offered.

“This is good, I need to actually talk to you guys about something,” Jonathan said, letting go of Nancy’s hand and stuffing his own into his pockets, hunching a little bit. He looked nervous, the smile gone, replaced by something resembling nausea.

“Are you okay?” Nancy sounded concerned. Steve backed up her feelings, leaning in closer.

“Oh yeah I’m fine. It’s nothing big. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I have to go, anyway, class is about to start.” Jonathan took off quickly down the hallway, leaving Steve and Nancy at his locker. It reminded them of earlier in the year, whenever they were together, Jonathan would sulk away. But things were different now. He looked at Nancy, his mouth still open in surprise.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” she said, more to reassure herself than anything. He squeezed her hand.

* * * * * 

Steve got home and jogged up the stairs to his room.

“Hold on, Steve!” His mom yelled. She excitedly rushed over to the bannister, where he was leaning, waiting for her. She waved a handful of envelopes in his direction.

“I think some of these are yours,” she said with a knowing smile. He felt his stomach drop. Things were getting incredibly real. The minute he opened these letters, the next four years of his life would be laid out in front of him. He wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Thanks, I’ll open them later.”

“Wait, Steve!” She tugged them back from him. He sighed heavily.

“Mom! Nancy, Jonathan and I said we’d open our letters together,” he explained, prying  
them from her hands gently. “We’re going to go to the movies on Friday, I’m crashing at Jonathan’s after, his brother wants some help with a game he’s working on.”

“Stephen Harrington, if I don’t hear where you’re going by Saturday morning, you’re going to be in huge trouble,” she stated.

“Got it, mom.”

He laid the letters out on his bed. University of Indianapolis, Notre Dame, NYU, University of Vermont, Boston University, the list went on. They all looked about the same size. He’d talked to Carol about it recently, and she said that envelope size didn’t mean anything, regardless of what people said. They sent you more when you accepted your place there, not when you first got accepted. He calmed himself with that knowledge and stared at the envelopes all night.

In the morning, he stuffed them all in his backpack and headed to school. The day passed easily, but Jonathan was still acting strange. He and Nancy mouthed wordlessly to each other through chemistry, not able to talk while Mrs. Harris explained something about proteins.

“You think he’s all right?” Steve asked Nancy once the final bell rang. She sighed, exasperated at him as she packed up her notebooks. He’d asked her a hundred times already that day.

“Yes, Steve. I think he’s fine. He’ll tell us what’s going on tonight. Come over at 6, okay?”

“Yeah I will. Where is he? I want to talk to him.”

“World History. Tell him 6, okay?”

“Okay. See you later,” he kissed her quickly and went off to found Jonathan. He glanced out the window and saw him walking to his car.

“Hey! Jonathan, hold up!” He yelled, sprinting over. Jonathan glanced around nervously. They were always worried they’d slip up and kiss in public where their classmates could see. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jonathan eased up a little. Steve running usually ended up with them being chased by something inter dimensional.

“I’m fine, Steve,” he said fondly. “You need a ride?” Steve looked around. He’d walked to school that day, wanting to clear his head after dreaming of rejection letters. He nodded and walked around to the passenger side, yanking the rusty door open with a creak.

* * * * * 

They spent the next two hours driving around, listening to music and talking about anything but what was on Jonathan’s mind. Steve would reach over occasionally and touch his hand, and he found himself staring at the other boy more often than not as he mouthed along to obscure British bands Steve had never even heard of.

“We should pick up some beer,” Steve said. “I still have that fake ID.”

“Great, yeah. Buchanan’s?” Steve nodded, and Jonathan took the next left to head down to the liquor store on the outskirts of town. They picked up three six packs with no problem, more than they’d need, but Steve would store it away until the next time they had a night to themselves. Jonathan was laughing at something Steve said when they walked into the parking lot.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Queer Club of Hawkins High.” Jonathan froze and Steve closed his eyes, fuming at the voice he knew belonged to Billy Hargrove. He turned around, putting the beer in the backseat and glancing at Jonathan. Jonathan knew there was a history of violence between the two and he didn’t want to make things worse.

“What do you want, Hargrove?” Steve practically growled.

“Just picking up some beer. I see you two got your wine spritzers.” He gestured to the brown paper bags in the car. “I gotta ask.” He stepped right up to Steve. “Which one of you fucks the other?” Steve clenched his fists. He didn’t want to fight, he really didn’t. He’d had his face beaten in enough for two lifetimes at this point.

“Just leave, man,” Jonathan said, stepping next to Steve. It made Steve’s heart flutter to be defended. Billy laughed, looking him up and down. He put his hands up and shoved Jonathan, hard. Jonathan fell backwards, keeping his balance better than Steve ever could.

“Look at that, someone knows how to plant his feet.” Billy grinned viciously at Steve. “I guess now I know who fucks you, Harrington.” Steve couldn’t help it, he stepped forward to take a swing at Billy. Jonathan reached up and grabbed his hand gently, stopping him. Billy didn’t have a Jonathan. He hit Steve squarely in the face. Steve doubled over, pain surging through his nose. He could taste the blood dripping down the back of his throat, an all too familiar taste.

“Hey!” Jonathan jumped at Billy, aiming for his face. Billy ducked, and tackled Jonathan to the ground, knocking the air out of him.

“What’s your fucking problem?” Steve yelled, kicking Billy while he was done. The bully yelled, almost jeering him on. He grabbed Steve’s foot and landed on his back with a crunch, elbows hitting the sidewalk hard.

“You’re my fucking problem.” He punched Steve again, and again. Steve flashed back to the Byers’ living room, when Max had jammed the syringe into Billy’s neck. He didn’t remember that. He’d blacked out long before the punches had stopped. To this day, he truly believed Billy would have killed him. He was terrified that’s where things were heading now. He heard Billy scream and looked up. Jonathan was yanking him back by the hair, jamming his foot into Billy’s back, throwing him to the ground.

“Hey, assholes!” The cashier of the store, a large man with sweat staining his shirt came out with a shotgun.

“Jesus,” Billy said from the ground. He jumped up. “This ain’t over.” He snarled, taking off to his car. The man towered over Steve and Jonathan on the ground.

“You better get the hell out of here,” he warned, pointing the gun in the air. They nodded. Jonathan wasn’t as injured as Steve was, and he helped him up. Steve held his side, wincing as Jonathan lowered him into the car.

The ride was quiet, the only noises coming from them letting out a pained noise when they went over a pothole. Steve held the neck of his shirt up to his nose until the bleeding stopped. He looked at his reflection in the small rearview mirror, groaning. It wasn’t the worse he’d ever had. He looked better than he did the time Jonathan had beaten the shit out of him the year before.

Jonathan looked okay. There was some blood splattered on the front of his white shirt, but Steve was pretty sure that was his.

“You okay?” He asked Jonathan after a while in the car on their ways to Nancy’s.

“Nancy is going to kill us,” he said. Steve laughed, wincing at the feeling in his ribs.

* * * * * 

Nancy was horrified when they showed up at her door. She took the bags of beer from them, putting them down on the table and ordering them to sit down. Jonathan nodded to Steve, silently telling her that he needed more attention than he did with his injuries.

“What the hell happened?” She asked, opening the first aid kit her mom kept under the sink.

“Billy Hargrove happened. Man, his parents should have worn a condom,” Steve said, wincing when Nancy pressed a peroxide soaked cotton ball to his nose.

“God I want to kill him. I just want to kill him,” she said, worrying her lip with her teeth as she cleaned the cuts on his face. Jonathan reached over and took Steve’s hand, letting him squeeze when the liquid soaked into his wounds.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” she said softly. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a little banged up. I promise.” The worry was still apparent in her eyes, but it lessened. She trusted him. She went to Jonathan and checked him over, despite his insistence he was fine. He might not have had any cuts, but there was going to be a nasty bruise or two in the next few days.

“This is just…when is he going to stop? When someone hurts the men I love, they’re going to have to deal with me.” Steve and Jonathan glanced at each other. No one was more fiercely protective than Nancy. Whether it was them or Mike, or Dustin, she would stand in front of a bullet for the people in her life.

They calmed her down, with a few beers for the three of them, and eventually wound up outside, sitting around the pool, their legs dangling in the steaming water.

“Jonathan, what did you want to talk to us about?” Steve said, trying to keep the subject off of the beat down.

“Oh.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled letter. “I got into NYU.”

“OH MY GOD!” Nancy practically screamed. She lunged at the boyfriend to her left, hugging him as tightly as his injuries would allow. “That’s incredible. I’m so proud of you, Jonathan.” She kissed him and turned to Steve, who was grinning.

“That’s…I knew you’d get in.” He leaned over Nancy and kissed him, ignoring the pain welling up when their noses brushed.

“Thank you, both. I couldn’t have done it without you. Seriously.” He was being too humble, as was his nature. “What about you, guys? You get your letters.”

“I did,” Nancy said. “I got into Notre Dame. And NYU.” She was grinning ear to ear and Jonathan’s face lit up.

“You applied to NYU? Why?” She looked at him like he was an idiot.

“Because of you, dummy. And because it’s a great school and I’ve always wanted to move to New York City,” she explained. “I’m not sure if I’m going to go, but it’s an option.” They all kissed again, happy at the new development. For once, Steve was glad the wounds on his face helped to hide his emotions. They turned to him, expecting him to add to the good news.

“Hold on.” He stood up, trailing water and steaming footprints into the house. He came back with his backpack. He unzipped it and rooted around for the letters.

“I didn’t open them yet. And I didn’t get my NYU letter yet. I told my mom we were going to do it together, but really. I was just scared they’d all be rejections.”

“Of course they won’t be,” Nancy assured him. She took the letters from his hands, looking up at him for his okay to open them. He nodded. She opened all of them and read them off. He got into University of Indiana, Baylor, and even Purdue. They were excited for him, and he accepted the excitement, not telling them about the unopened NYU letter in his backpack. He didn’t want to open it. He wanted it to remain a mystery for the night, just for one more night. Until the idea of the three of them going to college together wasn’t a fantasy, but just a hope.

* * * * * 

Steve walked home in the morning, before Nancy and Jonathan woke up. His mom was all over him when he walked through the door, asking about his face, his letters, and he wanted to push her away and storm upstairs like a 12 year old. But he didn’t and he answered them calmly. She was thrilled about Purdue, already making plans for moving day when he disappeared up the stairs.

His head was pounding from the beating he took yesterday, and he wanted to take a long shower and sleep for the next two days. Before he crawled into bed, he pulled the NYU letter out of his bag. He took a deep breath and slid his finger under the flap, ripping it open.  
He scanned down the letter, picking up the phone the minute he finished, dialing Nancy’s number automatically.

“Hello?” He heard her sleep thick voice across the line.

“Hey, it’s Steve.”

“Steve? Where’d you go?” She croaked.

“I had to leave. I have a question for you and Jonathan though.” He heard her say something to Jonathan, and then his voice joined hers on the phone. He imagined them huddled by the receiver, their faces pressed together. He smiled to himself before asking his question.

“Do you think they allow co-ed roommates at NYU?”


	4. Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Nancy and Jonathan prepare to leave for college. The kids take it better than expected.
> 
> This is the last chapter. Thanks for the comments, I'm glad you all enjoyed it!!

The next few months passed easily. Billy seemed to leave them alone, too preoccupied with his own life post-high school and the pressure from his father. That just left the three of them figuring out their lives together in New York.

“God, I can’t believe we’re going to be living in Manhattan,” Nancy said dreamily in the hallway one their second to last day of school. Graduation was that Saturday, they had 48 hours until they were officially done with school, documents in hand. The three months after that would go by quickly, they assumed. With nothing but each other and the dream of New York in their minds.

“It’s going to be incredible,” Jonathan assured her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Steve nodded in agreement, but his head was somewhere else. He seemed to be more nervous than them. Nancy and Jonathan had a sort of confidence in their abilities he never had. Sure, he was one of the most popular kids at Hawkins High, but he wasn’t sure how that was going to translate outside of the teenage bubble he’d created for himself.

Nancy was smart, she was incredibly smart and capable. She knew how to handle almost any situation and was quick on her feet. The adaptable nature wasn’t something Steve had. He liked routine, he liked knowing what was happening and planning. Jonathan was creative and comfortable in his own skin. He could disappear anywhere, happy to just take pictures and live inside his own head. Steve envied that. He had the tendency to need approval from others in order to feel good about himself.

The idea of moving and starting college made his nerves worse. Sure, knowing he’d be with the two loves of his life made thing much better, but he still knew at the end of the day, he was going to have to live inside his own head.

“You okay?” Nancy asked him as they walked out of school.

“Yeah, definitely. Listen, I have to go head home early. I’ll see you tomorrow for our last day,” he said to the two of them. They waved as he jogged to his car.

He spent the night making lists. It was something he’d picked up from Nancy. She liked to be organized, making lists of what she needed to study, chores she had to do, and anything else that came to mind. He liked it. It helped him keep track and made him feel sane. He made a list of things to bring to New York, people to say goodbye to, graduation parties to attend and the things around Hawkins he wanted to do one last time with Nancy and Jonathan.

The last day was eventful. Students hugged and cried and signed each others yearbooks. The three of them spent as much time as possible together. They had a lot of memories whizzing through their heads. Nancy wanted to remember her classes with Barb, Jonathan wanted to remember the days he and Nancy would awkwardly walk down the hallways together, trying not to look each other in the eye and admit to themselves they had feelings, and Steve wanted to remember pushing Nancy against her locker and kissing her, Jonathan’s hand covertly covering his own behind Nancy’s back.

* * * * * 

Steve thought the summer would be more eventful and full of debauchery than it was. He expected the three of them to lay around enjoying their last few months of freedom, full of hot touches and kisses and hours in Steve’s pool. And it was, they did all of those things regularly, but the looming move to New York soured the breezy experience a bit. It’s not that they weren’t excited, but it was so new and big and full of people they didn’t know. Anyone would be scared. Their only reassurance was that they had each other.

Nancy was frantically packing and unpacking, narrowing down the things she wanted to bring. Mrs. Wheeler would tear up occasionally at the idea of her first born moving away. Mike pretended not to care, but he hung around her more than usual, trying to get as much time with Nancy as possible.

Mrs. Byers was incredibly emotional about Jonathan leaving, and with good reason. Will was stepping up, becoming the person she needed to get through the day. Things were better with her, she was more grounded and stable than she had been in the past years, but Jonathan leaving was still taking its toll.

Steve’s parents cared, and gave him the things he needed, but didn’t get too involved. In their eyes, he was an adult now and he needed to learn how to handle things on his own. Out of the three of them, he was the one most excited about living away from his parents.

The last week of August was stifling. It was too hot to do much but lay around in the pool or standing in front of the air conditioner after spending five sweltering minutes outside.

“Hey, can you come over to Nancy’s tonight?” Jonathan asked Steve on the phone. He was packing his clothes, the phone balanced between his ear and his shoulder. He stuffed a pair of jeans in the suitcase and closed the flap.

“Now?” He asked.

“Yeah, she just called and said she wants us to come over.” He sounded a bit worried. He knew one of the things that drove Jonathan crazy about Nancy was her tendency to keep things close to the vest. Steve found it amusing, because neither of them were the most forthcoming about their emotions. He was usually the one pushing them to open up and spill about whatever was obviously running through their minds.

“I’ll pick you up,” Jonathan said, before hanging up the phone. Steve paced around his living room waiting for his boyfriend. He kept his hands on his hips, thinking about what could be going on. He didn’t want to let his brain run away with itself as it had the tendency to do with Nancy. It was interesting, how different things were when he was with just her, versus when he was with just Jonathan, or when the three of them were together. It was never boring, that was for sure.

Jonathan pulled up and honked the horn. Steve rushed out, climbing into the passenger seat and greeting Jonathan with a kiss.

“You think she’s okay?” Jonathan asked.

“Of course she is! It’s just Nance, she’s probably trying to figure out how to fit every book she owns in her suitcase,” he teased. Jonathan cracked a smile, which Steve returned.

Jonathan parked on the street next to the house. His headlights illuminated a group of bikes tipped over on the lawn and Steve thought he could guess what was going to happen when they got inside. He and Dustin had been at the comic book store the other day, and Dustin started interrogating him about what he was going to miss about Hawkins. Steve purposefully listed everything he could think of except for Dustin, Lucas, Max, Will, El and Mike. He saw the unamused look on the kids face and it made him laugh.

Eventually he admitted he was going to miss the kids the most, and he wished they were old enough to come visit them in New York. Dustin had shrugged and said maybe they’d miss him too.

As they got out of the car, he was sure there were going to be a bunch of middle schoolers (soon-to-be-high-schoolers, as they would always correct) planning some sort of send off. They rang the doorbell, and Steve reached out and took Jonathan’s hand as they saw Nancy approaching the door through the stippled glass windows on either side.

She swung the door open, a grin on her face. Jonathan visibly relaxed, stroking Steve’s hand with his thumb. She stepped onto the door mat and closed the door behind her, kissing both of them quickly in greeting.

“The kids planned this whole thing,” she said, waving her hand in the direction of the house behind her. “It’s adorable.”

Steve grinned. Those little shits made him happy and he was determined to enjoy every second of the night with them, because he knew it would be one of the last he’d have like this. Sure, he’d see them when he was back for the holidays and the summer, but they’d be older and less reliant on him for advice and rides, and he knew eventually he’d stop being so cool in their eyes. He hoped Dustin never stopped needing him though. That would break his heart.

Jonathan was a bit confused, not entirely sure what was going on, but he let go of Steve’s hand as Nancy turned back and entered the house. Steve didn’t let him go, holding his hand tighter, lacing their fingers together. The kids all knew about them, they didn’t care. Steve grabbed Nancy’s hand as well, and the three of them, linked together, made their way into the basement.

Christmas lights which were clearly from the Byers’ hung around the dimly lit room, and some music he assumed was a tape Jonathan had made for Will played on the stereo. The kids yelled and cheered, hollering loudly when they made their way down the stairs. There was a crudely made banner hanging up. In painted, crooked letters it said “WE’LL MISS YOU, STEVE, NANCY AND JONATHAN!”

It was, hands down, the cutest thing any of them had ever seen. They ran at the kids, hugging them all, their little shadows turning into real teenagers. There was a bowl of punch, which Steve eyed curiously until Max assured him it was just punch, snacks, and some random holiday decorations they’d clearly dug out of boxes in their respective basements. Nancy was hugging Mike, who tried weakly to get away but gave up and wrapped his arms around his older sister. Will, El and Jonathan were sitting and talking about the music that was playing. Jonathan was clearly impressed with he knowledge his brother had acquired about the bands, while El asked questions about things she was learning from the two of them.

A few minutes later, Steve looked around. Lucas and Max were talking to Nancy and Mike, smiling and laughing when she teased them about their relationship. he turned the other way and saw Dustin getting a cup of punch and went over to him.

“This is great, kid,” he said, tousling his hair through the cap on his head. Dustin smiled up at him.

“Thanks. We jus t wanted to make sure you guys, you know, knew we’d miss you,” he said. Steve’s heart swelled and he wanted to hug Dustin but he held himself back. The kids were getting too cool for that.

“Thank you, really. You know I’m gonna miss you the most, right?” His voice was quieter, as if the others didn't already know that was the case. Dustin nodded, not meeting his eyes. Steve knew he’d become a big brother to Dustin, more than just a babysitter like he was to the rest of them. Sure, they looked up to him too, but not the way Dustin did. And while he would, and had, risk his life for any of them, Dustin was special. That was clear to everyone.

Steve put an arm around him and hugged him quickly. Dustin hugged back.  
They spent the night in the basement, talking about New York City and answering questions about college like they knew what they were talking about. When talk came up about the kids going into high school, they saw the nervous hesitation cross their faces. Steve, Nancy and Jonathan looked at each other, remembering exactly what that feeling was like, as they were living it once again themselves.

“It’s going to be fine,” Nancy assured them, leaning forward on the couch and putting her elbows on her knees. “Seriously. You guys have each other, and that’s not going to change.” They looked reassured.

“Yeah, and even if the cool kids don’t like you, it doesn’t matter. You guys are cooler than any of them, and they’ll be kicking themselves for not getting to know you later,” Jonathan added, glancing at Steve. Steve had done plenty of kicking himself for not getting to know Jonathan sooner.

“I’ll put in a good word with the popular crowd,” Steve said jokingly. It was no secret that his popularity had fallen in the past few months of school, once he had started dating Nancy and Jonathan. He couldn’t have cared less. “They’re all jackasses though, so don’t worry about it.”

At 9:30, Mrs. Wheeler came down the stairs.

“Sorry to break things up, but I told your parents you’d be home before 10,” she said. The kids looked around, sighing heavily and getting up. With only two more days left in Hawkins, this was going to be the last time the three of them got to see the whole group together. They hugged everyone fiercely, whispering goodbyes and advice in their ears before the kids took off up the stairs. Mike went with them to take El home with his mom. The three teenagers-but-actually-adults sat on the couch, emotions bubbling up in their chests.

“You guys ever think we’d learn so much from a group of 14 year olds?” Steve asked, breaking the silence. Nancy smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and Jonathan took the hand close to him, snuggling into Nancy’s side. They sat together like that for a while, until Mike and Mrs. Wheeler returned home, and Jonathan and Steve left.

* * * * * 

Two mornings later, the three of them packed into Steve’s car. They said goodbye to their parents and their siblings, tearing up at the suddenly very real realization they were now on their own for the first time in their lives. Steve sat in the driver’s seat as Jonathan rustled through his bag, looking for the roadtrip mix he’d made. He stuck it in the tape player and the music played. Nancy stretched out in the backseat, watching the scenery of their town rush by the windows.

“You guys mind if we make one stop before we leave?” Steve asked.

“That’s fine. What’s up?” Nancy asked, leaning forwards and putting her head between the two of them in the front.

“Just gotta say goodbye to someone.” He drove them to Dustin’s house and got out. He opened the back door and pulled out a box from under Nancy’s feet. He went to the front door and rang the bell. Mrs. Henderson opened it, hugging him tightly, kissing his cheek and talking to him about how proud she was of him, and how much they were going to miss him around the house. He was touched, and told her honestly that he was going to miss her too.

“Dusty, come to the door!” She yelled. Dustin shuffled out from his room, walkie talkie headphones on his head, talking animatedly to someone Steve assumed was either Lucas or Max.

“I gotta go, over and out.” Dustin said, taking off the head set and putting the kit on the couch. Mrs. Henderson hugged Steve goodbye one more time and went off to give the two boys some time to say goodbye.

“Well, kid, I gotta leave. But I wanted to give you something.” He held out the box. Dustin took it, excited.

“Can I open it?” He asked. Steve nodded, watching as Dustin pulled the tabs open and looked inside. Three of Steve’s favorite jackets from high school were folded up on top of each other.

“I thought you might like them.” He knew that Dustin wanted to be like him, and he wanted to give the kids the confidence he deserved. Dustin pulled out the gray member’s only jacket he’d secretly tried to find in stores around time, frustrated when he couldn’t find something close.

“Thanks. This is awesome!” He said excitedly.

“Well, you deserve it. Before I go, I need you to promise me something.” Dustin looked up at Steve. “Just please, please try to stay out of trouble when I’m gone.” Dustin was looking at the jacket in his hands.

“No promises. Now you promise me something.”

“All right,” Steve said.

“Get into some trouble in New York. And tell me everything over Christmas.” Steve laughed and launched at Dustin, hugging him tightly.

“You are the best little brother,” he said quietly, trying not to let the tears well up in his eyes.

“You’re a great big brother,” Dustin responded, with the same teariness in his voice.

Steve turned and walked out, wiping his eyes and not looking back to where Dustin was waving from the door until he was in the car. Nancy and Jonathan were touched at what they had seen, and they put their hands on his shoulders, squeezing reassuringly.

“You ready?” Nancy asked. Steve nodded.

“Let’s do this.”


End file.
